Lasagne

Lasagne

• 300g fresh lasagne
• 75g finely grated Parmesan
• 50g butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 stick of celery, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 250g pancetta, finely chopped
• 600g mincemeat
• 300ml red wine
• 4 tbsp tomato purée
• 400ml beef stock
• 150ml double cream
• Sea salt and ground black pepper
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning

Bechamel sauce

• 600ml full fat milk
• 60g butter
• 60g plain flour
• Freshly grated black pepper

Method:

First we need to make the ragu (that's the meat sauce).  Heat the oil and butter in a large deep saucepan over a medium heat, add the vegetables and fry until softened.  Add the pancetta and mincemeat and fry until browned off (making sure you break up the mince otherwise you end up with clumps!).  Add the wine and simmer until it is absorbed into the mixture, then add the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, tomato purée and a little of the stock, stir well, cover and cook over a low heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring in the remaining stock during this process.  Stir in the cream and cook uncovered for around 10 minutes or so until it is reduced, then set aside.

To make the bechamel sauce, heat the milk until it's just about to boil, then set aside.  Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour over a medium heat until you have a smooth golden roux.  Gradually add the hot milk, stirring all the time, until the sauce is smooth and thick, then stir in a few grinds of black pepper then set aside.

Preheat the oven to 170g (fan assisted).  In a large rectangular baking dish add about a third of the ragu, smooth it out until the base is covered, cover with sheets of lasagne, top with a third of the bechamel sauce and then repeat the layers twice more.  Sprinkle over the Parmesan and bake for around 40 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and browned.  Serve hot on its own or with a nice green salad and garlic bread.  This recipe will feed 6 or with careful portioning you could get 8 servings.

I prefer to use fresh pasta but you can use dry sheets, however they can be a bit crunchy if not covered fully!  Whilst it may seem a long time to cook the mince you will be glad you did as you will end up with a thick glossy ragu which is packed with flavour.  

This dish is perfect for any time of year and is an all time classic, once mastered you won't need another ragu recipe!  If you like to batch cook you can portion up some of the ragu and add some tinned chopped tomatoes and you then have a perfect bolognese sauce.

Chilli Chicken

Chilli Chicken

• 250 grams of boneless chicken pieces, cubed

For batter:

• ½ cup of plain flour 
• ¼ cup of cornflour or cornstarch
• 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
• ¼ tsp of chilli powder
• 1 tsp of soy sauce
• ½ tsp of black pepper powder

For stir-frying:

• 1 tbsp of oil
• 1 cup of cubed onions
• ½ cup of cubed capsicum (bell pepper)
• 2-3 green chillies, slit
• 1 tsp of crushed garlic
• 1 tsp of grated ginger
• 1 tsp of tomato ketchup
• 1 tsp of vinegar 
• 2 tbsp of sliced spring onions 

Method:
Mix all the ingredients for the batter and add enough water to make a thick batter (similar to bahji batter), add the chicken and mix well so all the chicken is coated.

Heat oil for deep frying in a large frying pan or a wok, when the oil is smoking hot add the chicken pieces (you will need to do this in batches so you do not crowd the pan) and fry on a medium heat until golden brown and slightly crispy - once cooked drain and set aside.  Continue with the next batch until all of the chicken is cooked.

Remove most of the oil from the pan/wok and add the onions, ginger, garlic, and green chillies, sauté until the onions turn transparent and soft then add the soy sauce, vinegar and tomato ketchup, cook for a further 2 minutes.

Add the fried chicken pieces and peppers, mix well then sprinkle some water over the top and cover the pan.  Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes, uncover, mix well then serve garnish with spring onions.

Who needs to get a takeaway when you can make this restaurant quality meal yourself in the comfort of your own home!  You can adjust the chilli quantity to suit your own needs, I do go a bit hotter but that's just my preference.  We love this dish and usually serve with egg fried rice.  Eating in can be the new eating out with this dish!

Beef Hotlink Souvlaki Wrap with Tzatziki

 Beef Hotlink Souvlaki Wrap with Tzatziki

A while back I came up with some traditional recipes with a Mexican twist, one of which was my Mexican Toad In The Hole.  For this recipe I was looking for a Mexican style sausage and this is when I came across Angusandoink.com who sell a variety of sausages, rubs and hot sauces. 

 I bought some of their Jalapeño & Cheese sausages with Mr Rubba Rubba Seasoning and Rub along with some beef hotlinks with the Generals Seasoning and Rub.  All I can say is if you like your sausage then you need to check out Angusandoink, seriously good quality sausages packed with flavour, I will be trying some of their other products soon, they were that good!  

Whilst I had in mind what to do with the jalapeño & cheese sausages, I was yet to come up with something a bit different to try out the beef hotlinks on - that was until I paid a visit to Greek on the Street at Boxpark Croydon where I had the loukaniko beef and pork Greek sausage souvlaki wrap. This was so delicious I decided to try and re-create this at home using the beef hotlinks, along with a couple of the traditional Greek wraps that the manager Vicky from Greek on the Street kindly let me have.  Just to say, I am trying to persuade them to sell the wraps as they really are good!

• Pack of beef hotlinks
• Greek wraps
• Red onion, finely sliced
• Small bag of rocket leaves
• 1 pepper, thinly sliced 
• Handful of sliced black olives
• Feta cheese, crumbled
• Cherry tomatoes, halved
• Half a cucumber, peeled
• Tablespoon of mint, finely chopped
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• 4 tbsp Greek natural yoghurt
• Couple of pinches of dried oregano

Method:
Place the hotlinks onto a baking tray and place under a preheated grill for around 20 minutes or so, until cooked through.  

Whilst the sausages are cooking, prepare the tzatziki.  Place the yoghurt into a bowl along with the mint, lemon juice and salt.  Using a box grater, grate the peeled cucumber, squeeze out the excess water from the cucumber and combine in the bowl with the yoghurt mix.

Heat a frying pan (one big enough for the wraps) and dry fry each wrap for around a minute each side until warmed through.  Place a wrap onto each plate and spread with some of the tzatziki and top this with some of the rocket leaves.  I then cut each sausage down the middle lengthways and allowed three slices for each wrap.  Having placed the sausages on top of the rocket I then topped with the red onion, peppers, tomatoes, olives and some crumbled feta.

Feta Fries

Having experienced the feta fries at Greek on the Street, I thought it would be rude not to also have a stab at making my own to go with the wrap.  I cooked some chunky frozen chips according to pack instructions, once done I tossed with some dried oregano and sprinkled some crumbled feta over the top.  I swear, once you try these fries, you will be hooked!

This dish was a huge hit in my household and the hotlinks really added to the whole dish, really meaty and tasty, I will definitely be making this again. I would recommend paying Angusandoink a visit to try out some of their products, you won't be disappointed, trust me.  

Smoked Chicken Salad

Smoked Chicken Salad

• 1 smoked chicken breast, thinly sliced 
• 1 large ripe avocado, peeled, stone removed and cut into small chunks
• 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, quartered, seeds removed and finely sliced into small chunks
• Quarter of a cucumber, thinly sliced and cut into small pieces
• 3 rashers of streaky bacon
• Bag of mixed lettuce leafs 
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method:
This is a bit of a cheat recipe as the only thing I'm actually making is the salad dressing, however this was such a tasty salad, it would be rude not to share it with you all!

Place the bacon on a baking tray and grill for 5-10 minutes until crispy.  Leave the bacon to one side to cool slightly and then chop into small bite size pieces.

Put the lemon juice, mustard and olive oil into a small bowl and whisk together until it thickens, season with salt and pepper to taste.  This recipe is for two, naturally adjust the ingredients to accommodate the number of guests you are feeding.

Dress two plates with the salad leafs and sprinkle over the pepper, cucumber, avocado and tomato.  Place the sliced chicken over the top of the salad and sprinkle over the bacon and drizzle with the salad dressing.

This is such a quick and easy recipe to throw together, who said cooking had to be complicated!  I'm sure you will love it as much as we did, enjoy.

Super Tuna Pasta Salad, Feta & Crispy Cayenne Crumbs

Super Tuna Pasta Salad, Feta and Crispy Cayenne Crumbs

• 1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 lemons
• 250g dried pasta shells
• 350g broccoli
• 1 slice wholemeal bread
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 cucumber
• 1/2 bunch of fresh chives or dill
• 4 tbsp natural yoghurt
• 2 X 120g tins of tuna in spring water 
• 50g feta cheese

Method:

Place the chopped onion into a large bowl with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then squeeze over all the lemon juice and put aside.

Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions.  Chop the broccoli florets off the stalk.  Cut the woody end off the stalk, halve the stalk lengthways, then chick it in with the pasta to cook through.  Chop the florets I to small bite-sized chunks, adding them to the water for the last minute only, just to take the rawness away.

Meanwhile, whiz the bread and cayenne into crumbs in a food processor, then toast in a dry non-stick frying pan on a medium heat until golden and crispy, tossing regularly.  Peel the cucumber, halve lengthways and scrape out the watery core, then finely slice.  Finely chop the herbs.  Mix the yoghurt into the lemony onion, then add the cucumber and herbs.  Drain the pasta and broccoli, finely chop the broccoli stalk, and add it all to the bowl of dressing.  Drain and flake in the tuna, toss together well, then taste and season to perfection.  Divide between 4 bowls and serve sprinkled with crumbled feta and the hot crispy crumbs.

Recipe courtesy of Jamie Oliver - Super Food, Family Classics

Despite the pasta, this is a light zingy salad that is crying out to be eaten al fresco, perfect for a summer evening with a nice chilled glass of white wine and of course a few friends to share it with.

Bloody Mac

Bloody Mac

• 1 x portion starter sauce (see The Don Macaroni)
• 250g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 tbsp Tabasco sauce
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 400g macaroni
• 230g mature cheddar, grated
• 90g Monteray Jack, grated
• 30g Parmesan, grated
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 sticks celery, cut in half and slice lengthways, to serve

Method:
First make the topping.  Pop the tomatoes into a small bowl along with the Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce and olive oil and mix gently so all the tomatoes are lightly coated.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the pack instructions, until al dente.  Tip into a colander and leave to drain completely.

In a heavy bottomed pan, make the starter sauce, then reduce the heat to low.

Add all the cheese and stir until melted.

Add the drained pasta to the cheese sauce and mix thoroughly.

Divide the Mac n cheese into 4 serving bowls.  Spoon the tomatoes evenly over each one along with a little of the dressing from the bowl.  Stand a couple of celery pieces in the Mac and season with freshly ground pepper and a dash more Tabasco, to taste.

Recipe courtesy of Anna Mae's Mac N Cheese

For those who know me, I am a huge lover of Mac N Cheese, receiving a copy of Anna Mae's cook book for Christmas tipped me over the edge.  I am in Mac N Cheese heaven, I seriously recommend this cook book if you are a fellow lover of the cheesy goodness!  The sauce in the dressing really sets this off, every mouthful had a kick to it, pure bliss!  Excuse me whilst I calm myself down!!!

Orzo Pasta, with Oregano, Feta, Tomato sauce and Chorizo

Orzo Pasta with Oregano, Feta, Tomato and Chorizo

• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 ½ tbsp tomato puree
• 4 fresh oregano sprigs
• Small bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes
• 150g black olives, pitted
• 300g orzo
• 150g feta
• 150g chorizo, sliced
• Lemon wedges to serve

Method:
Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the chorizo and after a few minutes once the oils have started to release and the onion and garlic and continue to fry for around 10 minutes until soft.

Add the tomato paste and herbs and for 1 minute, stirring.

Add the plum tomatoes and olives and cook for a further 15-20 minutes until the sauce has thickened, crush the tomatoes in the pan with a wooden spoon until broken up.

Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the orzo for around 8 minutes until nearly cooked.  Rinse the orzo under warm water and drain well.  Add the orzo to the tomato sauce, season lightly and stir through.  Crumble over the feta and serve with extra herbs and lemon wedges.

This was a surprisingly light dish, I think next time I might pep it up a bit with some chillies, as you will know by now, I do like a bit of a kick to my dishes!  This serves 4 generously, however it would be a great recipe to double up on when you have people round for a bbq as would go great with a variety of meats and also roasted vegetables.  

Recipe adapted from Delicious Magazine

Roast Beef Salad With Mustard & Horseradish Dressing

Roast Beef Salad with Mustard & Horseradish Dressing

This isn't a full blown recipe, more of a suggestion as to what to do with leftovers when you have a roast dinner.  We love nothing more than a nice bit of roast beef on a Sunday, to be fair, we don't usually have leftovers as we both love roasts and also we are both pretty greedy!  However on this occasion, having cooked a piece of beef that feeds 6 people and there were only the two of us, we found ourselves with plenty of leftovers!  Rather than snacking on the leftover beef, I decided to put it into a salad the following day, which I have to say was pretty tasty.  The only recipe to this dish is the dressing that I used.

For the dressing:

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp mustard of your choice
• 1/2 tbsp horseradish
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper

It's as simple as this, whisk together the ingredients with a pinch of salt and pepper until you create an emulsion, that is it!

For my salad I plated up some mixed leaves, radishes, green pepper, cucumber and tomato which I then topped with a warmed Yorkshire pudding, over which I then drizzled the dressing.

Such a simple dish but boy was it good!  I must make a point next time we have a roast to make sure there are leftovers as I will definitely be making this again!

Tuna Fishcakes

Tuna Fishcakes

• 2 medium potatoes
• 1 jar line caught tuna
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Handful of chopped parsley
• Tablespoon chopped capers
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

Method:

Peel and chop the potatoes in half and boil in a saucepan of salted water for around 10-15 minutes until soft.  Drain the potatoes and mash them in the pan with the back of a fork then set aside to cool.  Once the mash has cooled season with salt and pepper, add the lemon zest, parsley, capers and the drained tuna.  Mix together thoroughly breaking up the tuna as you mix, add the flour and beaten egg and combine together.  Divide the mixture into four portions and shape each one in your hand to form the Fishcakes and then place on a lightly flour dusted plate and refrigerate for at least and hour.

Put a good glug of olive oil into a frying pan over a medium heat, cook the fish cakes for around 3-4 minutes each side until you have a nice crispy crust, then plate up and enjoy.

This is a nice light dinner, perfect for when the days are getting warmer.  I served this with salad and dressed the fish cakes with a sundried tomato mayonnaise.

Warm butter bean salad with Chorizo

Warm butter bean salad with Chorizo

• 4 banana shallots, finely sliced
• 4 celery sticks, finely sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 200g cooking chorizo (sliced into 2cm rounds)
• 30ml medium-dry sherry (or red wine)
• 2 X 400g cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
• Handful of fresh flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 200g mixed salad leaves
• 60g manchego cheese

Method:

In a medium pan fry the shallots and celery in the olive oil over a medium heat until softened and translucent (about 8-10 minutes), then add the garlic and fry for another minute, remove from the pan and set aside.  Fry the chorizo for 7-8 minutes then pour in the sherry or wine and cook for 4-5 minutes until the chorizo is coated in a sticky glaze.  Return the shallots, garlic and celery to the pan with the butter beans to warm through, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley.  Arrange the warm mixture on a bed of mixed salad leaves and top with shavings of man hero.

This was such a simple dish to make, perfect for lunch or a light dinner.  Being a fan of heat, I would probably add some chilli to this the next time I make it, just to give it a bit of pep. Recipe courtesy of Delicious magazine.

The Spicy Juan

The Spicy Juan

• 400g Macaroni
• 1 portion starter sauce (see The Don Macaroni for recipe)
• 230g Mature cheddar, grated
• 90g Monteray Jack, grated
• 30g Parmesan, grated
• 4 tsp chipotle paste
• 1 jar red jalapeño chillies
• A handful of chopped fresh coriander
• 4 tbsp soured cream, to serve

Method:

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the pack instructions, until al dente.  Tip into a colander and leave to drain.  Meanwhile, in a heavy bottomed pan make the starter sauce then reduce the heat to low.  Add all the cheese and stir until melted.  Add the drained pasta and chipotle paste and stir through.  Spoon the Mac into 4 bowls and top with as many jalapeños as you like, a sprinkle of coriander and a few dollops of soured cream.

This recipe is from Anna Mae's Mac N Cheese

This was a tasty dish, comfort food at it's best and was a big hit in our household.  I tweaked the original recipe and mixed through most of the jalapeños into the pasta.  I also had some pork & jalapeño sausages, I removed the meat from the casing and fried off, breaking the sausage meat up until cooked through, I then stirred this through the pasta. 

Sweet and Sour Chilli Prawns

Sweet and Sour Chilli Prawns

• 500g large, raw peeled prawns
• Bunch of spring onions, trimmed
• 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 3 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 tbsp golden caster sugar
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2.5 cm piece of ginger, cut into fine matchsticks
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-2 medium hot red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
• Small tin of pineapple chunks

Method:

De-vein the prawns if necessary.  Cut the green tops from the spring onions and cut them lengthways into thin shreds.  Set aside for a garnish.  Thinly slice the white parts of the spring onions on the diagonal.  Mix the chilli sauce, ketchup, sugar, soy sauce and vinegar together in a small bowl.

Heat half the oil in a wok or large, deep frying pan.  Add the ginger and cook for 30 seconds, then add the prawns and stir-fry for 2 minutes, or u til the prawns are just cooked through, transfer them to a plate.

Mix the cornflour with 1 tablespoon of cold water.  Return the wok or pan to the heat and add the remaining oil, the garlic, chilli and pineapple chunks.  As soon as they start to sizzle add the white spring onion slices and stir-fry for 30 seconds.  Add the chilli sauce mixture and cornflour mixture and simmer for a few seconds until thickened and smooth.  Return the prawns to the wok with the shredded green spring onions and toss everything together.  I served this with egg fried rice.

This is a light and tasty dinner, quick and so simple to make.  If you prefer your dish more spicy leave the seeds in the chillies.  

Recipe adapted from Delicious magazine

Griddled Chicken with quinoa Greek salad

Griddled Chicken with quinoa Greek salad

• 225g quinoa
• 25g butter
• 1 red chilli deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove crushed
• 400g chicken mini fillets
• 1 ½ tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 300g vine tomatoes, roughly chopped
• Handful pitted black Kalamata olives
• 1 red onion finely sliced
• 100g feta cheese, crumbled
• Small bunch of mint leaves, chopped
• Juice and zest ½ lemon

 Method:-

Cook the quinoa following the pack instructions, then rinse in cold water and drain thoroughly.

Meanwhile mix the butter, chilli and garlic into a paste.  Toss the chicken fillets in 2 tsp of the olive oil with some seasoning.  Lay in a hot griddle pan and cook for 3-4 minutes each side or until cooked through.  Transfer to a plate, dot with the spicy butter and set aside to melt. 

Next tip the tomatoes, olives, onion, feta and mint into a bowl.  Toss in the cooked quinoa. Stir through the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and zest, season well.  Serve with the chicken fillets on top, drizzled with any buttery chicken juices. 

This is a nice light zesty dinner with scope for chopping and changing the ingredients to suit your own taste.  As an addition I added some rocket to the dish, you could also add roughly chopped cucumber.  The recipe is courtesy of BBC goodfood    

Pork chops with prosciutto, apple and stilton

Pork chops with prosciutto, apple and stilton

• 12 slices prosciutto
• 4 pork chops
• 1 small red apple cored and sliced
• 75g Stilton cheese, crumbled
• 4 large rosemary sprigs, to skewer

Method:- 

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.  Lay out 3 slices of the prosciutto so they overlap, repeat with the rest of the prosciutto so you have 4 piles.

Put a frying pan over a high heat.  Season the chops with salt and pepper then sear in the hot pan on both sides.  Place a seared chop on top of each pile of prosciutto.  Divide the sliced apple and Stilton between the prosciutto piles, on top of the pork.  Wrap the prosciutto around each of the parcels to hold it all in place and secure with a rosemary sprig.  Place the parcels in a baking tray and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the pork is cooked through.  Serve with mashed potato and greens and cooking juices from the parcels.

This was a perfect dish for an Autumnal evening, homely and comforting.  Recipe courtesy of Jamie Oliver.   

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Chilli Con Carne Stack

Chilli Con Carne Stack

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 red pepper finely chopped
• 2 medium vine tomatoes, seeds removed and finely chopped
• 1 tsp hot chilli powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 500g beef mince
• 100ml red wine
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 3 tsp tomato paste
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 240ml beef stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 medium cinnamon stick
• 400g tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 400g tin sweetcorn
• 30g dark chocolate (85% cocoa solids)

Method:-

Heat the oil in a medium pan over a low heat.  Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until translucent.  Add the garlic, pepper and vine tomatoes and cook, stirring for 6-8 minutes until the tomatoes have softened.  Make a space in the centre of the mixture then add the chilli powder, paprika and cumin.  Mix well and cook for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile season and cook the mince in a separate pan over a high heat until browned.  Drain the fat from the mince and add the mince to the tomato mixture along with the wine.  Stir over a high heat until the wine evaporates.  Stir in the oregano and thyme, then the tomato paste.  Reduce the heat to low and cook for 1 minute.  Add the tinned tomatoes and stock.  Cook for 5 minutes, stir occasionally.  Add the bay and cinnamon, then cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove the lid and stir in the beans and sweetcorn, then cook uncovered for 10 minutes.  Taste and season the chilli then stir in the chocolate until it has melted.  Remove the pan from the heat and discard the bay leaves and cinnamon stick.

Whilst you can serve the chilli with rice, for this recipe I shallow fried several small flour tortillas and built a chilli stack, adding cheese, sour cream and jalapeño slices along with homemade guacamole.  This chilli has a great flavour however I do prefer a bit more heat, I therefore added a diced red chilli and a good helping of Kankun habanero sauce to give it a bit more bite. Credit to Chef Ernesto Puga Cardoso for the recipe.

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Ricotta and Parmesan fritters with mushrooms, black pudding and pancetta

Ricotta and Parmesan fritters

• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 fresh red chilli
• 400g mixed wild mushrooms
• Olive oil
• 1 small knob of unsalted butter
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 400g ricotta
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1 lemon
• 40g grated Parmesan
• 4 slices black pudding
• 6 slices of pancetta
• 1/2 bunch of chopped flat leaf parsley

Method:-
Peel and finely slice the garlic, finely slice the chilli, then roughly chop the mushrooms.  Add the olive oil (few glugs), butter and garlic to a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat.  Fry for 1 minute, add the mushrooms and chilli, then pick the thyme leaves and add to the pan.  Season with salt and pepper, add 100ml of boiling water, then cook for around 10 minutes or until,softened.

To make the fritters, place the ricotta into a large bowl and beat until smooth.  Add the flour, egg and a few gratings of lemon zest.  Finely grate the Parmesan and add to the bowl, season with salt and pepper and mix well to combine.

Heat a good splash of olive oil in a medium pan over a medium heat, then add heaped tablespoons of the mixture, making sure you space them out.  Cook for around 10 minutes or until,golden and cooked through, turning halfway then transfer to a plate.

Whilst the fritters are cooking, place the black pudding into a small frying pan with a dash of olive oil and gently fry, turning occasionally.  Place the pancetta onto some foil on a tray and cook under a medium grill for 6-8 minutes, turning once, until crisp.

Bring to the boil a small saucepan of water and boil 2 eggs for 5 1/2 minutes, once done rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Roughly chop the parsley and add to the mushrooms, add a squeeze of lemon juice and toss well.  Divide between the plates, top with the black pudding, fritters, pancetta and the soft boiled egg.  Enjoy, this is such a tasty dish, packed full of flavour, great for a Friday night dinner at the end of a hard week.

Chicken Katsu Curry

Chicken Katsu Curry

• 4 x skinless chicken breasts
• 50g plain flour
• 1 large egg
• 100g panko breadcrumbs
• 200ml sunflower oil
• Hot mounds of steamed rice for serving

For the sauce

• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 medium onions roughly chopped
• 25g chunk of root ginger peeled and finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves sliced
• 1 tbsp medium curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground star anise
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 20g plain flour
• 500ml chicken stock
• 2 tsp tomato purée
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method:-

Firstly make the sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the chopped onion, cover with lid and gently fry for 8-10 minutes until well softened, stirring occasionally.  Remove the lid, increase the heat a little and cook for 3 more minutes until the onions are pale golden brown.  Reduce the heat, add the ginger and garlic and simmer gently for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Stir the curry powder, star anise, turmeric and a few twists of ground black pepper into the onions.  Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Sprinkle over the plain flour and stir well.  Gradually add the chicken stock, stirring constantly until it's incorporated.  Add the tomato purée and bring to a simmer, then cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from the heat and blitz with a stick blender until smooth.  Cover with cling film and set aside while you prepare the chicken.

One at a time place the chicken breasts on a board and cover with cling film.  Bash the thickest part of the chicken with a rolling pin until the pieces have an even depth.  Soft the flour on to a large plate.  Beat the egg in a medium bowl until smooth.  Sprinkle half the breadcrumbs over a small tray.  Take a chicken breast and dust it in the flour.  Shake off the excess flour and dip into the beaten egg then coat it in the breadcrumbs.  Put the chicken on a tray whilst you coat the rest, adding the reserved breadcrumbs after coating two breasts.  Chill for 30-60 minutes if you have time, as this will help the breadcrumb coating to set.

Pour the oil into a deep non-stick frying pan and set over a medium heat.  Using tongs lower the chicken breasts into the hot oil and cook for 5-6 minutes each side until the chicken is crisp and golden.  Five minutes before the chicken is ready pour the curry sauce into a pan and warm over a low heat.  Slice the chicken breasts and serve on warmed plates with steamed rice and some hot sauce.

Recipe courtesy of Hairy Bikers Great Curries 

Hot-smoked salmon fillets with herby avocado

Hot-smoked salmon fillets with herby avocado

• 2 ripe avocados
• 2 tbsp natural yoghurt 
• 1 small bunch of coriander
• 1 handful mint leaves
• Juice of 1 lime
• 4-6 radishes
• 2 little gem lettuces
• 4 x 130g hot-smoked salmon fillets
• Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Method :-

Peel and stone the avocados and put the flesh in a food processor.  Add the yoghurt, herbs, lime juice and some salt and pepper, then whizz until smooth.  Thinly slice the radishes and quarter the lettuces lengthways.  Divide the avocado purée among 4 dishes, add 2 lettuce quarters to each then top with a flaked salmon fillet.  Scatter with the radish slices and freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil.

This is a very light dish, ideal for dining Al fresco whilst enjoying the sunshine.